Rear wheel axle, as well as bicycle frame and rear wheel for a bicycle

Abstract

A rear wheel axle for a bicycle includes a hollow wheel axle and an axle shaft inserted therethrough and torque support elements for supporting torque exerted on the wheel axle on drop outs of a bicycle frame. The torque support elements are formed by a first part of an outside of the axle shaft and a part of an inside of the wheel axle, which parts jointly form a first form locked connection, and are also formed by a second part of the outside of the axle shaft, which together with a bounding wall of a through hole provided in an inserted piece which is fixed in the direction of rotation relative to one of the drop outs, forms a second form locked connection. The first and second parts of the outside of the axle shaft are fixed relative to each other in the direction of rotation of the axle shaft.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A rear wheel axle for a bicycle comprising
 a hollow wheel axle; 
 an axle shaft inserted through the hollow wheel axle; 
 a torque support supporting on a drop out of a bicycle frame torque exerted on the wheel axle, wherein 
 the torque support is formed by a first part of an outside of the axle shaft and a part of an inside of the wheel axle, said parts jointly form a first connection form locked in a direction of rotation of the axle shaft, and by a second part of the outside of the axle shaft, which together with a bounding wall of a through hole in the drop out of the bicycle frame or of a further through hole present in an inserted piece in said direction of rotation is fixed relative to the drop out forms a second connection form locked in said direction of rotation, where the first and second parts of the outside of the axle shaft are fixed relative to each other in the direction of rotation of the axle shaft. 
 
     
     
       2. The rear wheel axle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the axle shaft comprises a pin and a bush freely rotatable around the pin, where the first and second parts of the form locked connections are formed on the bush. 
     
     
       3. The rear wheel axle as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the first and second form locked connections are formed as splined connections, where from the first form locked connection said part of the inside of the wheel axle is provided with a first number of first splines which are distributed over the periphery and the first part of the outside of the axle shaft or the bush of the axle shaft is provided with a second number of second splines which are also distributed over the periphery and are each present between two neighbouring first splines, where the first number is equal to or a multiple of the second number, and where from the second form locked connection said bounding wall is provided with a third number of third splines which are also distributed over the periphery, where the second number is a multiple of the third number, and the second part of the outside of the axle shaft is provided with at least a single fourth spline which is wider and shorter than the third splines and in tangential direction fills up the gap between two neighbouring third splines. 
     
     
       4. The rear wheel axle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second form locked connections are formed as splined connections, where from the first form locked connection said part of the inside of the wheel axle is provided with a first number of first splines which are distributed over the periphery and the first part of the outside of the axle shaft or a bush of the axle shaft is provided with a second number of second splines which are also distributed over the periphery and are each present between two neighbouring first splines, where the first number is equal to or a multiple of the second number, and where from the second form locked connection said bounding wall is provided with a third number of third splines which are also distributed over the periphery, where the second number is a multiple of the third number, and the second part of the outside of the axle shaft is provided with at least a single fourth spline which is wider and shorter than the third splines and in tangential direction fills up the gap between two neighbouring third splines. 
     
     
       5. The rear wheel axle as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the fourth spline has an end facing the second splines, said end being bevelled. 
     
     
       6. The rear wheel axle as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the second form locked connection comprises a fourth number of fourth splines which are distributed over the periphery, where the fourth number is equal to the third number. 
     
     
       7. The rear wheel axle as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the second form locked connection comprises a fourth number of fourth splines which are distributed over the periphery, where the fourth number is equal to the third number. 
     
     
       8. The rear wheel axle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the axle shaft on one side is provided with a connector, and on an other side is provided with a tensioning mechanism for clamping the wheel axle between the drop out of the bicycle frame. 
     
     
       9. A rear wheel for the bicycle comprising:
 the rear wheel axle as claimed in  claim 1 ; and 
 a transmission comprising a driver body ( 25 ) and torque means, said transmission comprises at least one drive connecting the driver body to the torque means, said rear wheel further includes a wheel hub which is bearing-mounted on the wheel axle and comprises further torque means which together with the torque means forms a third form locked connection. 
 
     
     
       10. The rear wheel as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the drive comprises a planetary gear set including three rotational members, of said three rotational members a first rotational member is connected to the driver body, a second rotational member is connected to the torque means and a third rotational member is connected to the wheel axle. 
     
     
       11. The bicycle frame comprising a rear fork having the drop out for cooperation with the rear wheel axle as claimed in  claim 1 , said drop out is provided with the through hole through which the axle shaft can be inserted, where the bounding wall of the through hole in the drop out of the bicycle frame, or of the further through hole present in the inserted piece, together with the second part of the outside of the axle shaft forms the second form locked connection. 
     
     
       12. The bicycle frame as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the inserted piece is provided with a torque support arm which rests against the drop out. 
     
     
       13. The bicycle comprising the bicycle frame as claimed in  claim 11 , and a rear wheel including a transmission comprising a driver body and torque means, at least one drive connecting the driver body is connected to the torque means, said rear wheel further including a wheel hub which is bearing-mounted on the wheel axle and comprises further torque means which together with the torque means forms a third form locked connection.